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The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives. The Kentucky Senate has 38 members and the Kentucky House of Representatives has 100 members. Prior to a 1992 constitutional amendment, the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky presided over the Senate; the 1992 amendment created a new office of President of the Senate to be held by one of the 38 senators.

The Kentucky General Assembly meets in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky. The House and Senate chambers are on opposite ends of the third floor of the capitol building, and legislators have offices in the nearby Capitol Annex building.

The Kentucky General Assembly is served by a nonpartisan agency called the Legislative Research Commission.

Contents 1 Session dates 2 Legislative districts 3 Members 3.1 Terms and qualifications 3.2 Current composition 4 Leadership 5 Standing committees 6 External links

[edit] Session dates

The General Assembly meets annually in Frankfort, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January. In even-numbered years, sessions may not last more than 60 legislative days, and cannot extend beyond April 15. In odd-numbered years, sessions may not last more than 30 legislative days, and cannot extend beyond March 30.

Special sessions may be called by the Governor of Kentucky at any time for any duration.

[edit] Legislative districts

The General Assembly must divide the state into 38 Senate and 100 House districts. Districts are required to be as nearly equal in population as possible. Districts can be formed by joining more than one county, but the counties forming a district must be contiguous, according to Section 33 of the state constitution. Districts must be reviewed every 10 years and be re-divided if necessary.

[edit] Members

[edit] Terms and qualifications

A State Senator must:

• be at least 30 years old;
• be a citizen of Kentucky;
• have resided in the state at least 6 years and the district at least 1 year prior to election.

Senators are elected to four year staggered terms, with half the Senate elected every two years.

A State Representative must:

• be at least 24 years old;
• be a citizen of Kentucky
• have resided in the state at least 2 years and the district at least 1 year prior to election.

Representatives are elected every two years in the November following a regular session of the General Assembly.

[edit] Current composition

House	Senate
Affiliation Members Democratic Party 56 Republican Party 44  Total 100	Affiliation Members Republican Party 21 Democratic Party 16 Independent 1  Total 38

[edit] Leadership

Senate

• President (elected by full body): David L. Williams (R-16)
• President Pro-Tempore (elected by full body): Katie Kratz Stine (R-24)
• Majority Leader: Dan Kelly (R-14)
• Majority Whip: Dan Seum (R-38)
• Minority Leader: Ed Worley (D-34)
• Minority Whip: Joey Pendelton (D-3)

House

• Speaker (elected by full body): Jody Richards (D-20)
• Speaker Pro Tempore (elected by full body): Larry Clark (D-46)
• Majority Leader: Rocky Adkins (D-99)
• Majority Whip: Joe Barrows (D-56)
• Minority Leader: Jeffrey Hoover (R-83)
• Minority Whip: Ken Upchurch (R-52)

[edit] Standing committees

Committee	Senate	House of Representatives
Committee on Committes	David L. Williams	Jody Richards
Rules	David L. Williams	Jody Richards
Enrollment	Elizabeth Tori	Susan Westrom
Agriculture and National Resources	Tom Jensen	Tom McKee
Appropiations and Revenue	Charlie Borders	Harry Moberly
Budget and Review Subcommittee on Economic Development & Tourism, Natural Resources, & Environmental Protection	Ernie Harris	John Arnold
Budget Review Subcommittee on Education	Brett Guthrie	John Will Stacy
Budget and Review Subcommittee on General Government, Finance, & Public Protection	Jack Westwood	Royce Adams
Budget Review Subcommittee on Human Resources	Tom Buford	Jimmie Lee
Budget and Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary	Robert Stivers	Jesse Crenshaw
Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation	Bob Leeper	Rob Wilkey
Banking and Insurance	Tom Buford	James Bruce
Economic Development, Tourism, & Labor	Alice Kerr	Ruth Ann Palumbo
Education	Julie Denton	Frank Rasche
Health and Welfare	Julie Denton	Tom Burch
Judiciary	Robert Stivers	Gross Lindsay
Labor and Industry	--	J.R. Gray
Licensing, Occupations & Administrative Regulations	Gary Tapp	Denver Butler
State and Local Government	Damon Thayer	Steve Riggs
Natural Resources and Environment	--	James Gooch
State Government	Damon Thayer	Mike Cherry
Seniors, Military Affairs, and Public Safety	--	Mike Weaver
Transportation	Brent Guthrie	Hubert Collins
Tourism Development and Energy	--	Eddie Ballard

[edit] External links

• Kentucky Legislature Home Page
• Kentucky Revised Statutes

Legislatures in the United States

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